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The man, identified by police as Atsunobu Usuda, 49, was
arrested on the spot on charges of obstructing the performance
of official duties, although additional charges can be added
later.
Although the motive for the attack was not immediately clear,
Japanese media reports said social media posts believed to be
Usuda's showed him complaining about the sums of money required
to run for office under Japanese law, implying Usuda had
political ambitions.
The media reports also quoted unidentified sources as saying
Usuda had taken part in protests against nuclear plants. Usuda
was not immediately available for comment.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is increasingly unpopular
with the public due to a ballooning money scandal involving
dubious funding and suspected tax evasion. The party declined to
comment on Saturday’s attack, referring all queries to the
police.
Voting for the lower house of Parliament is set for Oct. 27.
Some tarnished politicians lost the official backing of the
ruling party but are running as independents.
The party recently chose a new leader, Prime Minister Shigeru
Ishiba, hoping to present a new image. But polls show its
popularity plummeting, although it’s still unclear whether they
will lose their majority grip on the lower house in the upcoming
election given the splintered opposition.
Some candidates have been heckled, which is relatively rare in
Japanese culture.
The Liberal Democrats have ruled Japan almost continuously over
recent decades. They are credited with leading Japan as it
became an economic powerhouse from the devastation of World War
II.
Then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in 2022, while
making a speech for a ruling party candidate during a
parliamentary election. The killer used a handmade firearm,
saying he resented Abe because his mother gave all the family
money to the Unification Church, and he saw Abe as affiliated
with that church. Such ties are still ongoing with some ruling
party politicians.
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